LLS Light The Night Walk: One Way To Battle Cancers Of The Blood

By Steve Bonanno

The battle against cancer is fought on many fronts. One of the groups fighting the battle is The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), a group dedicated to finding a cure to these diseases.

Longtime LLS volunteer and Newtown resident Ginny Chion is responsible for bringing the events of LLS to Newtown. Ms Chion has been involved with LLS and its fundraising efforts since the losing her 17-year-old son, Greg Chion, to leukemia on October 26, 2000.

Ms Chion explains that LLS has many fundraising events, including a wine tasting being planned at The Alexandria Room at Edmond Town Hall on October 6. Their signature event, however, is the Light The Night Walk, which will return to Newtown on September 29 at Newtown Youth Academy.

LLS-Connecticut Chapter Executive Director Jean Montano explains that the event is not an all night walk like Relay For Life, but a two-mile walk that everyone does at once. She explains that the people walking also carry illuminated balloons. Red balloons are for supporters, white balloons are for survivors, and gold balloons are illuminated within in memory of people who have died. At the end of the walk the balloons are released.

“Seeing the balloons go over the sunset is a very amazing experience in itself,” said Campaign Coordinator Kristen Angell.

Ms Angell also explained that the Light the Night Walk is different from Relay For Life because most of the fundraising is done before the event. 

“Anyone who joins a team and raises over $100 becomes a Champion for Cures,” said Mrs Chion, “and is rewarded with a T-shirt, special balloon, and [for the walk in Newtown] free food provided by The Newtown Deli.”

The Light the Night Walk has a night of fun activities planned in addition to the walk.

“The event is very family oriented,” said Ms Angell, “and aside from the two-mile walk there are other activities to look forward to that night, such as a bounce house, face painting, hair feathering, music, and food.”

There will also be the traditional Remembrance Ceremony, where this year Honored Hero Christina Ercole of Newtown will be speaking. Ms Ercole, now in her early 20s, is a survivor of acute lymphocytic leukemia who went through 2½ years of surgeries and treatments when she was 11 years old. 

“This is a much quieter and somber part of the ritual,” said Ms Angell, “it reminds people why they are there.”

The Light The Night Walk takes place in five separate locations in Connecticut, said LLS Director Jean Montano, and the one in Newtown is the first. The other four locations are Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket on October 12, Lighthouse Point Park in New Haven on October 13, The Promenade Shop at Evergreen Walk in Hartford County on October 25, and Calf Pasture Beach in Norwalk on October 26.

This will be the Newtown’s forth Light the Night Walk. The event first came to the area in 2003, where it took place in Fairfield. The following year it took place in Trumbull, and the following four years it was held at Western Connecticut State University. The first year it came to Newtown it was held at Newtown High School. It originally was planned to be outside, but due to rain it was moved into the gym. That year there were 300 walkers and $30,000 was raised.

The following two years Newtown’s Light The Night took place at Newtown Youth Academy (NYA). The first year at NYA, in 2010, 400 walkers raised $40,000. Last year 450 walkers raised $58,000. Now the Light the Night Walk returns to NYA for the third year in a row with a goal of $60,500.

Thanks to organizations and events like LLS and the Light The Night Walk the battle against cancer has improved.

“Fifteen years ago the survival rate for children with leukemia was four percent,” said Ms Montano, “now it is 91 percent.”

Boston Hospital recently made a breakthrough in treating blood cancer, said Mrs Chion. This was made possible thanks to the money donated by the LLS.

“If blood cancer was cured it would help treat all cancers because blood affects everything in your body,” said Ms Chion.

One way to support the LLS is to buy a Light The Night paper balloon, which can be purchased at Bagel Delight, Carminuccio’s, NHS and The Newtown Bee’s office on Church Hill Road.

To find other ways to get involved with the LLS and The Light the Night Walk go online to www.lightthenight.org or call the Connecticut LLS office at 203-427-2062.